Low-birthweight babies in Italy

Italy: Low-birthweight babies was 7.2% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
7.2%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
116th
of 157 countries
All-time high
7.2%
in 2020
All-time low
6.6%
in 2000
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Low-birthweight babies in Italy, 2000–2020

024682000201020202000: 6.6 % of births2001: 6.6 % of births2002: 6.6 % of births2003: 6.7 % of births2004: 6.7 % of births2005: 6.7 % of births2006: 6.8 % of births2007: 6.8 % of births2008: 6.9 % of births2009: 6.9 % of births2010: 7 % of births2011: 7 % of births2012: 7.1 % of births2013: 7.1 % of births2014: 7.2 % of births2015: 7.2 % of births2016: 7.2 % of births2017: 7.2 % of births2018: 7.2 % of births2019: 7.2 % of births2020: 7.2 % of births

Source: UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Measured in % of births.

Analysis

In 2020, low-birthweight babies in Italy stood at 7.2%. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, low-birthweight babies in Italy peaked at 7.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 6.6%, in 2000.

That places Italy 116th out of 157 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Low-birthweight babies in Italy, year by year

Annual values for Low-birthweight babies (% of births) in Italy, 2000 to 2020.
Year % of births Change
2000 6.6%
2001 6.6% +0.4%
2002 6.6% +0.5%
2003 6.7% +0.5%
2004 6.7% +0.6%
2005 6.7% +0.6%
2006 6.8% +0.6%
2007 6.8% +0.7%
2008 6.9% +0.8%
2009 6.9% +0.8%
2010 7.0% +0.8%
2011 7.0% +0.8%
2012 7.1% +0.8%
2013 7.1% +0.6%
2014 7.2% +0.4%
2015 7.2% +0.2%
2016 7.2% +0.1%
2017 7.2% -0.0%
2018 7.2% +0.0%
2019 7.2% +0.1%
2020 7.2% +0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 6.7% 6.6% 6.9% 10
2010s 7.1% 7.0% 7.2% 10
2020s 7.2% 7.2% 7.2% 1

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 113 Fiji 7.4% compare
  2. 114 Argentina 7.4% compare
  3. 115 Russian Federation 7.3% compare
  4. 117 Algeria 7.2% compare
  5. 118 Malta 7.2% compare
  6. 119 Cuba 7.1% compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More health data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is low-birthweight babies in Italy?
Low-birthweight babies in Italy was 7.2% in 2020, according to UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
What is the highest low-birthweight babies recorded in Italy?
The highest recorded value was 7.2% in 2020.
What is the lowest low-birthweight babies recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 6.6% in 2000.
How does Italy rank for low-birthweight babies?
Italy ranks 116th out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
Is low-birthweight babies rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Italy data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Low-birthweight babies (% of births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Low-birthweight babies in Italy. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/low-birthweight-babies-percent-of-births/italy/

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About this data

Indicator
Low-birthweight babies (% of births)
Unit
% of births
Source
UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
188 places, 3,948 data points, 2000–2020
Last refreshed

Low-birthweight babies are newborns weighing less than 2,500 grams, with the measurement taken within the first hour of life, before significant postnatal weight loss has occurred.